Sound box for dictating machines



' Nbv. 14,1939. Q J E. RENHOLDT 9 soumq BOX FOR DIGTATING MACHINES Filmi Sept. 24, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 3573/2 l Renholdf ATTORNEYSNov. 14, 1939.

J. E. RENHOLDT SOUND BOX FOR DICTATING MACHINES Filed Sept. 24, 1937 I 2Sheets-Sheet 2 0 32 |N3VENTOR 35 50/222 E. Ben/201d! @ZML CWZL Q v'ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 14, 1939 SOUND BOX FOR DICTATING MACHINES John1:. m, Bridgeport, Oonn., assignor m Dictaphone Corporation, New York,N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 24, 1937, SerialNo. 185,424

90mins.

This invention relates to sound translating devices and moreparticularly to sound boxes for dictating machines.

An object of the invention is the provision of vide new and improvedmeans to restrain the recording stylus of such a device against lateralmovement as an incident to conditioning of the device for a recordingoperation.

A further object is to provide a sound box construction of the abovecharacter which is compact, economical of manufacture, and readilyoperable to condition the device for either reproducing or recordingoperations. Other objects and advantages will be in part obvious and inpart pointed out hereinafter.

This invention accordingly consists in the fea-. tures of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, as will beexemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scopeof the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the variouspossible embodiments of my invention,

Figure l is an end elevation with some of the parts shown incross-section;

- Figure 2 is a sectional view of the recording and reproducing soundbox taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the under surface of the sound box shown inFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the sound box shown in Figure 2 buttaken on line 4-4 of Fi ure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the sound box similar to Figure 4, butwith the parts in a different position of adjustment;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of the sound box similar toFigures 4 and 5, but with the parts in a diflerent position ofadjustment from those shown in Figures 4 and 5 Figures 7, 8 and 9 areenlarged detailed perspective views of certain of the parts shown inFigures 2 to 6 inclusive.

Sound boxes according to the present invention are particularly welladapted to replace the reproducing sound box of a well known type oftranscribing machine, thus converting the lat- -ter into a universalmachine capable of recording diction and also reproducing same withoutother alteration than the substitution of a transmltting connection tothe sound box in place of I the receiving connection ordinarily used forlistening. Combination sound boxes of this nature are not, however,limited to the use specified.

Referring to Figure 1, the machine shown in 5 the accompanying drawingscomprises a base plate l2, having an integrally formed upstandinghousing l3 for rotatably supporting a mandrel l4 adapted to carry arecord tablet or cylinder l5.

The mandrel may be driven by means such, for example, as that shown inthe patent to J. M. ligigrrelle et. al., 1,983,039, dated December 4,

Extending longitudinally of the machine are upper and lower carriagesupporting and guiding members It and I! which are supported at theirends by the housing l3 and standards (not shown.) near the other end ofthe base plate.

Slidably mounted upon the members It and ii is a sound box carriage It.A feed screw it, journalled'on an axis parallel to the axis of themandrel i4, and suitably connected thereto so as to rotate when themandrel rotates, is arranged to drive the sound box carriage through afeed nut 20 supported on the carriage and arranged to be moved into andout of engagement with the feed screw. For a further disclosure of thisconstruction, which forms no part of the present invention, referencemay be had to the above cited patent. A sound box 2| carried by thesound box carriage I8 is arranged to be traversed longitudinally of arecord tablet on the mandrel Ii.

. Referring additionally to Figures 2 to 6, inclusive, the sound box 2|comprises a body portion formed with a short tubular voice connection22, its under surface being recessed at '23 to receive a diaphragm 24.

An annular plate member 25, removably se- 40 cured on the under surfaceof the sound box, carries a weighted support 26, on a pivot rdd 21,which, in turn, is carried by a bracket 28, mounted on trunnions 29 forarcuate movement in a s plane at right angles to the plane of movementof the support 26 on the pivot 21. Hence the support 26 is capable ofuniversal movement with respect to the body of the sound box.

A 'styluslever 30 is pivotally mounted on the weighted support 26, oneof its arms being connected to the diaphragm 24 by a wire 3|. Theopposite end of stylus lever 30 carries a substantially triangular,pivotally mounted stylus head 32 arranged to receive a recording stylus33 and a reproducing stylus 34.

The pivot 21 and trunnion 29 permit the weighted support 26, and thusthe stylus head, to have free lateral and vertical movement on therecord in a reproducing operation, and addition ally accommodate themechanism to records of various thicknesses and to inequalities in-therecord surface.

Weighted support 26 may be moved from the reproducing position shown inFigure 6 to a neutral position shown in Figure 5 so as to raise thestylus head above the record, as is done when the record is removed fromthe mandrel or in those instances in which it is desired to move thesound box carriage a relatively long distance along the record, eitherforward or backward. To this end, the weighted support is formed with anangularly-extending arm 35 which lies in the path of an arm 36, Figurel, of a carriage release, or sound box conditioning lever 31 pivotallysupported on the guide rod l6.

As shown in Figure 1, when the lever 31 is under edge of the camminglever 45.

raised, its arm 36 will engage the arm 35 of -weighted support 26 torock the latter in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed, thus raisingthe stylus head above the record. The conditioning lever 31simultaneously functions to disengage the feed nut 20 from the feedscrew l6, its arm 36, being arranged to act upon an upwardly-tumed end38 of. the feed nut to rock the latter in a clockwise direction againstthe action of a spring 39, thus disengaging the nut from the feed screw.

Means is provided to rock the stylus head 32 between the positions shownin Figures 4 and 6 to selectively condition the sound box for recordingand/or reproducing operations. To this end, weighted support 26 isarranged to be raised to neutral position, as in Figure 5, and thenlowered again into engagement with the record each time the machine ischanged from recording to reproducing condition and vice-versa, thestylus head during this movement being automatically moved to cause thedesired stylus to contact the record.

Referring particularly to Figures 2 to 9, in.- clusive, the undersurface of the sound box is formed with similar, diametrically-aligned,rectangularly shaped recesses 39, to receive a stationary guide piece4|] (Figure 8) extending between and rigidly secured in the recesses.The guide piece 40 comprises fiat, irregularly shaped end portions 4|and 42 which engage the surfaces of the recesses 39, and a connecting,or bridge member 43 which maintains the parts 4| and 42 in fixed rigidrelationship and also defines a bearing 44 to pivotally support acamming lever 45, Figure 7.

The free end of camminglever 45 is formed with a laterally turned hook46 which engages a hook 41 projecting upwardly and rearwardly from thesurface of weighted lever 26 as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6.

Camming lever 45 is arranged to be moved arcuately by means including aslide 48 (Figure 9) which underlies the guide 40 and may be reciprocatedin the slots 39 in the annular underbody of the sound box. Slide 48comprises a flat, rectangular body portion and'a substantially centrallylocated depending car 49 which in turn carries a laterally extending pin50 arranged to act upon camming surfaces 5| and 52 and an intermediatedwell surface 53 formed on the As the slide 48 is caused to moveleftwardly and rightwardly, between the positions shown in Figures 4 to6, pin 50 will act upon the camming su f c s 5| and 52 of lever 45 so asto alternately levate, hold, and then permit the lever to movedownwardly, thereby effecting a corresponding movement of weighted lever26.

Reverting now to Figure 9, it will be observed that the left end of theslide 48, as viewed therein, is bifurcated to provide spaced arms 55which straddle the upwardly projecting portion of the trunnion housingfor the trunnion bearing 29 as shown at 56 in Figures 4 to 6, inclusive.

Slide 48 is adapted to be reciprocated between the positions shown inFigures 4 and 6 by means of a thumb nut 51 conveniently positioned onthe upper surface of the sound box. The thumb nut is fixed to the upperend of a short shaft 58, journalled in the annular portion of the bodyof. the sound box for rotation in a plane substantially normal to thesurface thereof. At its lower end, shaft 58 is provided with a rigidlyconnected arm 56 (Figure 3) the free end of which is received betweenthe downwardlyturned; ends of a bracket 60 (Figure 9) secured on thelower surface of slide 48.

To effect automatic rocking of the stylus head 32 as an incident tooperation of the thumb nut 51, slide 48 is formed with adownwardly-projecting, laterally-turned fork 62, the arms of which, 63and 63 straddle the upwardly-projecting apex 64 of the stylus head whenthe weighted lever 26 is in its upper or neutral position as shown inFigure 5. This movement of the stylus head into position between thearms of fork 62 occurs in timed relation with the movement of slide 48,the completion of the movement of the slide being eifective to rock thestylus head either in a clockwise or counterclockwise directiondependent upon the direction of movement of the slide. Thus, when thumbnut 51 is rotated from the position shown in Figure 4 so as to changethe machine from a dictating to a transcribing condition, in otherwords, to render the stylus 33 ineffective and the stylus 34 effective,the slide 48 is moved to the right to cause pin 50 to act against thecamming surface 52 of lever 45, thereby elevating the weighted supportto the position shown in Figure 5. It will be noted that in thesepositions of the parts the arms 63 and 63 of fork 62 straddle the upperend 64 of the movable stylus head 32. Now as the rotation of thumb nut51 is continued, the movement of slide 48 continues in a rightwarddirection so as to cause arm 63 of fork 62 to rock the stylus head in aclockwise direction, thereby position-' ing the transcribing stylus sothat it will'engage the record when the weighted support is againlowered. This last mentioned movement of the slide occurs while the pin56 engages the dwell surface 53 of camming lever 45 so that no movementof the weighted support takes place during the rocking of the stylushead.

Toward the conclusion of the rightward movement of slide 46, pin 50moves beyond the dwell surface 53, the configuration of the cammingsurface 5| then permitting the camming lever to drop downwardly underthe influence of weighted support 26, the parts finally assumingthe'position shown in Figure 6.

Conversely, when thumb nut 51 is rotated tomit the weighted support todrop again to the position shown in Figure 6, the recording stylus 39having been positioned to engage the tablet or record.

To facilitate manipulation of the stylus head to its respectivepositions, the thumb nut I1 is formed with a pointer 98 which iscoordinated with suitable indicia on the top surface 2| of the sound boxwhich serve to identify the positions of the thumb nut with therecording and reproducing conditions of the stylus head.

To insure equivalent movement of the stylus head and sound box carriageinboth recording and back-spacing movement of the sound box, means isprovided to lock the weighted support 26 against lateral movementrelative to the sound box carriage during both recording andback-spacing operations. More particularly, the weighted support isprevented from moving arcuately on the trunnion bearing 29 at all timeswhen the machine is conditioned for recording and it is similarlyrestricted when a back-spacing movement of the sound box occurs. Asshown in Figures 3, and 4' to 6 inclusive, 9. locking lug 61 is carriedby the pivoted bracket 29 on which the support 26 is mounted, and amovable locking device comprising a lever 69 is pivoted on the platemember 25 and carries a notched wheel 69 arranged to cooperate with thelocking lug 61.

A tensile spring 10 is connected between the locking lever 69 and a lugII on slide 49. When slide 49 is moved to the left as shown in Figure 4,that is, when the machine is conditioned for a recording operation,spring 10 is tensioned to draw lever 69, and thus the notched wheel 69,into locking engagement with the lug 61 thereby preventing movement ofthe support 26 and stylus head 32 on trunnion 29. When slide 49 iscaused to moveto the position shown in Figure 6, on the other hand, thatis to the position' in which the sound box is conditioned for areproducing operation, the tension, in the spring 10 is destroyed so asto allow the locking lever and its notched wheel to rock downwardlyunder the influence of gravity out of engagement with the lug 61,thereby permitting free tracking movement of the support and stylus headover the tablet or record.

In those instances in which it is desired to back-space the sound boxcarriage during a reproducing operation, the weighted support is lockedwith respect to the sound box as an in cident to the beginning of theback-space movement and is restored to'its normal free trackingcondition after the conclusion of the retrograde movement. As shownparticularly in Figures 1 and 3, the locking lever 69 is provided with adepending lug 12 which is engaged by means associated with the feed nutwhenever the backspace lever 19 is operated to step the carriagebackwardly along its supports, as is fully described in the above citedpatent.v Thus it will be understood that the locking lever 98 isactuated to bring the notched wheel 69 into engagement with the lockinglug 91 when the feed nut 2!) is raised by operation of the back-spacerkey as well as by rotation of the thumb nut 51 to condition the machinefor a recording operation.

Thus I have provided a construction including emcient means for shiftinga device 01' the character described between recording, neutral, and

reproducing positions. .Furthermore, the mechanism is such as toautomatically providefor locking the recording tool against lateralmovementduring a recording operation as well as for locking thereproducing tool against lateral movement during a back-spacingoperation. Great ease of adjustment of the device to any of itsplurality of positions is accomplished by coordinating all of itsmovements with asingle manipulative device.

Thus I have provided a thoroughly efficient construction in which theseveral objects hereinabove referred to, as well as many others, aresuccessfully accomplished.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention andasmany changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is tobe understood that all matters hereinabove set forth, or shown in theaccompanying drawings, are to beinterpreted as illustrative and;not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. A sound box adapted to be detachably mounted as a unit on thecarriage of a dictating machine in operative relation to a record tablet.comprising in combination, a body portion, a support movably mountedthereon, a stylus head operatively mounted on said suport, a pluralityof styli on said head conditionable by movement of said head into andout of operative relation to said tablet, a slide on said body portion,and

a single manipulative means operable to move said slide and said supportto eflect a coacting relationship between said head and said slide toselectively condition said styli for operation.

2. A sound box adapted to be detachably mounted as a unit on thecarriage of a dictating machine in operative relation to a record tabletcomprising in combination, a body portion, a support mounted on saidbody portion for movement relative thereto in angularly disposed planes,a stylus-on said support, means adapted to lock said support againstmovement in one of said planes, manipulative means operable to move saidsupport in the other of said planes to condition said stylus in relationto said record tablet, and means associated with said manipulative meansautomatically actuated as an incident to manipulation of said support toprevent movement thereof in the said one plane.

3. A sound box adapted to be detachably mounted as a unit on'thecarriage of a dictating machine in operative relation to a record tabletcomprising in combination, a weighted support pivotally mounted on saidsound box for universal movement relative thereto, manipulative meansoperable to effect movement of said support in -one plane, means forlocking said support against comprising in combination, a body portion,a support universally connected to said body portion to permit movementthereof relative to said body portion in angularly disposed planes,recording and reproducing styli mounted on said support and selectivelyconditionable for operation with said record tablet, manipulative meansto eil'ect movement of said support between two angulariy spacedpositions and to selectively condition said styli for operation, andmeans associated with said manipulative means and said support actuatedas an incident to conditioning of one of said styli to restrict themovement of said support to a single plane;

5. A sound box adapted to be detachably mounted as a unit on thecarriage of a dictating machine in operative relation to a record tabletcomprising in combination, a body portion, a support pivoted on saidbody portion for movement between two angularly disposed positions, astylus head movably mounted on said support, recording and reproducingstyli on said head, a part movable on said body portion, andmanipulative means operable to move said support and said part to aposition to effect a coacting relationship between said part and saidhead to selectively condition said styli for operation with said recordtablet.

6. A sound box adapted to be detachably mounted as a unit on thecarriage of a dictating machine in operative relation to a record tabletcomprising in combination, a body portion, a weighted support pivotallymounted thereon for universal movement relative thereto, a stylus headoperatively mounted on said support, a plurality of styli on said head,a slide on said body portion, locking means operable to restrictmovement of said support to a single plane, and manipulative meansoperable to move said support and said slide to a position to provide anactuating relationship between said slide and said styli head toselectively condition said styli for operation with said record tablet,and a resilient one-way operating connection between said slide and saidlocking means.

7. A sound box adapted to be detachably mounted as a unit on thecarriage of a-dictating machine in operative relation to a record tabletincluding in combination, a body portion, a support universally mountedthereon, a stylus head operatively mounted on said support, a pluralityof styli on said head, a part supported on said body portion formovement between two spaced positions, locking means operable torestrict movement of said support to a single plane, a resilent one-wayoperating connection between said part and said locking means, and asingle manipulative means operable to move said part and said support toeffect selective conditioning of said styli for operation with saidrecord tablet and to lock said support against movement in a particularplane when a particular one of said styli is conditioned.

8. In a sound box adapted to be detachably mounted on the carriage of adictating machine tion of reciprocation to actuate said cam member firstto raise and then to lower said support and carrier, and means on saidslide adapted in the raised position of said carrier to engage and rocksaid carrier, whereby opposite movements of said slide selectivelycondition the respective styli in operative relation to the recordtablet.

9. In a sound box adapted to be detachably mounted on the carriage of adictating machine in operative relation to a record tablet, incombination, a support mounted universally for upand-down and lateralmovements in relation to said tablet, a carrier for a recording and areproducing stylus pivotally mounted to present one or the other of saidstyli in operative relation to said tablet, said carrier being connectedwith said support for movement therewith, a movable cam member having aconnection with said support for effecting up-and-down movements of saidsupport, a reciprocatory slide adapted during one part of its movementto engage and raise said cam member, means for moving said slideselectively in either direction of reciprocation t0 actuate said cammember first to raise and then to lower said support and carrier, meanson said slide adapted in the raised position of said carrier to engageand rock said carrier, whereby opposite movements of said slideselectively condition the respective styli in operative relation to therecord tablet, means adapted to lock said support against lateralmovement, and a resilent connection between said slide and said lockingmeans adapted to eifect locking of said support when said slide isoperated to present the recording stylus to the record tablet.

JOHN E. RENHOLDT.

